The Reprocutions of Pain
by ap gato
Summary: Sora's life has taken a depressing turn which causes her to doubt the truth behind love. This makes it easier for darkness of the digital world to work it's magic. More summary inside. Taiora. UPDATED! CHAPTER 7 IS UP!
1. History

DW: Ok, I have no idea what is wrong with me. For some reason I have started writing all these angsty fics.   
  
Irie(my muse): Your fics aren't all angsty! What about the Yu-Gi-Oh one?  
  
DW: Well that isn't, but I have written one angsty fic for Digimon already and at least one of my Harry Potter fics is going to have a bad ending...  
  
Irie: Mmhmm...that's nice. But is this story going to have chapters?  
  
DW: Yep! This is my first Digimon fic with chapters! Oh, and I am totally Taiora, so if you are against Taiora to the point that it makes you sick to even think about it then leave now. Alright, quick summary because it won't all fit in the summary thing:  
  
~* Sora's life has been going downhill for the past two months. She left one home full of pain only to come to another. While going through all this pain, Sora begins to doubt the power and truth behind her crest. This makes it all the easier for darkness to seep into her soul. Both the digital world and the real world are in danger again, but will the digidestines be able to save it from their most dangerous enemy yet...one of them.*~  
  
Irie: *re-reads summary* Holy crow, something seriously is wrong with you! You never write stuff like this! Do you feel sick? Do you have a fever? Are you possessed?  
  
DW: Stop that! Ok, time for ages.  
  
Sora, Tai, Matt-17  
  
Izzy, Mimi-16  
  
Joe-18  
  
Kari, TK-13  
  
Irie: That wasn't everyone.  
  
DW: I don't care about the others, if I need them, I'll put them in later with their ages. Now on with the story!  
  
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Sora sighed and tried to shut out the fight that had erupted in the kitchen. Ever since she had come to live with her aunt and uncle, all they had done was fight. Sora could never remember them fighting so much when she was younger. Every time her parents had brought her to visit them, they had always seemed so happy. Thinking about her parents brought a familiar pang of pain and sadness. It had only been over a month since she had lost both of her parents in a horrible car accident. She remembered that evening as if it were yesterday...  
  
**Sora was sitting on the couch in her living room watching a movie which was punctuated every so often by a crash of thunder from outside. She looked outside and was surprised to see that it had begun to rain even harder than before. The rain drops were hitting the window so forcefully that they reminded Sora of a drummer she had heard once at a funeral. She continued to listen to the monotonous sound of the rain drumming against the window and watched the two characters on the television screen get into their car for a trip to the beach. The movie continued on the screen and Sora watched black clouds begin to gather in the sky above the couple as they made their way to the beach. The sudden storm in the movie perfectly mirrored the way the storm had begun outside her own house. No one had expected the storm and some people on the radio were saying that it was a bad omen. Sora shivered at the resemblance between the real world and the movie; she was about to turn it off when the phone rang. Sora got up and went to the phone behind the couch.  
  
"Hello, Takenouchi(sp?) residence."  
  
"Is this Sora Takenouchi?"  
  
Sora paused before answering, for some reason the person on the phone was scaring her. On the television screen, the rain was getting worse.  
  
"Hello?" came the person's voice again.  
  
"Yes, this is Sora Takenouchi."  
  
"Sora, my name is Officer Malone, I'm afraid I have some bad news."  
  
The driver on the screen was beginning to loose control of the car. "What type of news?"  
  
"Sora, I am so sorry to tell you this, but your parents were in a horrible car accident."  
  
The car on the screen lost complete control and swerved off the road and over a cliff. Sora stood there, completely numb, watching the car go over the cliff and picturing it as her parents' car. She then asked the question that she knew the answer to. "Are they alright?"  
  
"I'm so sorry, they were pronounced dead not long ago by the paramedics."  
  
Sora stood there, rain beating harder than ever against the window and watching the flashing lights on the television screen. The officer continued to talk, but Sora heard none of what he was saying...**  
  
The sound of breaking glass downstairs followed the a door slamming snapped Sora out of her thoughts. Sighing again, she pushed herself away from her desk deciding that her homework could wait. Quietly she made her way through the hall towards the stairs. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a car engine being started and a car driving away much more quickly than it should. Worried and curious, she continued downstairs quickly and found her uncle sitting in a chair, staring at the wall.   
  
"Uncle Andrew?" she asked quietly. He just continue to stare at the wall as if she hadn't said a word. She tried again slightly more loudly.  
  
"Uncle Andrew? Are you alright?" Again, there was no reaction from the man in the chair.  
  
"Uncle And..."  
  
"I heard you already! I'm not deaf you know!" he snapped. Sora was surprised by the cruelty in his tone and guessed that he wasn't entirely sober.   
  
"Uncle Andrew," she said carefully, "where is Aunt Rose?"  
  
"She left," he spat, getting up from his chair and glaring at Sora. "She's gone. She just packed up and left me. And I say good riddance. What did that woman do other than eat the food I put on the table? What did she do other than use the things I bought with my money? What was she ever good for other than se..."  
  
"You don't mean that!" Sora interrupted, frightened by the things he was saying about his wife, "You're just upset, you don't mean all the things you said."  
  
"What do you know, woman? I should have know you wouldn't understand, you're just like her." Her uncle began to approach her and Sora had to fight the overwhelming urge to turn and run away.  
  
"Please Uncle Andrew..."  
  
"Be quiet!" he roared angrily, "What do you do for me? Nothing! All you do is take up space my house and in my life! It's your fault that my wife left me. If you hadn't come into our lives like this, we would have been fine. If your idiot parents hadn't gotten themselves killed, we would have been fine."  
  
Sora was so stung by the cruel words he had said about her parents that she stood there, shocked, as he continued to approach. He was so close now that she could smell the alcohol on his breath.  
  
"Things are going to change around here," he said, grinning crookedly, "Oh yes Sora, things are going to change." And with that, he slapped Sora across the face. Sora had not been prepared for the blow and staggered sideways from the force of it. She stared at her uncle in shock and pain, willing herself not to cry.  
  
"You will go to your room now Sora," he began, "and tomorrow, before you go to school you will make breakfast for me. When you come home from school you will make dinner for me. Since you lost me my woman, you will have to take her place. You will clean, you will cook and you will serve. Is that understood?"  
  
Sora could only nod at him and begin to go to her room.  
  
"Oh and Sora," he said menacingly, "if you tell anyone about this, I will kill you." (DW: I know that was a tad melodramatic, but remember he's drunk)  
  
Sora just continued up the stairs and into her bedroom. She sat there on her bed, too shocked and numb to cry or think and it wasn't until the moon had begun to set and the stars fade that she finally fell asleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
DW: Short yes, but it was basically an introduction. Next time I will talk about how this is affecting her and stuff. And I will also bring her friends into it.  
  
Irie: *re-reading it* What is the matter with you? You are seriously sick! You NEVER EVER write like this. That's it, I'm calling the doctor.  
  
DW: Stop that! And Taiora will be brought into it later on. Please r/r if you have any questions, comments, queries. Heck, flame me if your heart so desires. Please review!  
  
Irie: Yeah, please review. 


	2. Cause and Effect

DW: Well, I finally got some reviews for this story, so I have decided to update it. Thank-you very very much to all those who reviewed.  
  
Irie: If you are waiting for reviews to update...then this story will never get updated.  
  
DW: Very funny.  
  
Irie: I thought so.  
  
DW: I own nothing, except the plot.  
  
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Sora was woken up by her alarm. She uncurled herself from her bed, wondering for a second why she had been lying on top of the sheets, before the memories of the previous night flooded her mind. She staggered into the bathroom and looked at the raw, red mark her uncle's slap had left on her face. She tried a couple different hair styles in an effort to cover the mark, but none of them worked. Sighing, she went back into her room, and began to dig around in her closet for the 'make-over kit' she had gotten as a birthday present last year. She had never used any of the contents before, seeing as she rarely wore make-up, so she wasn't sure if she would find what she was looking for. Luckily, she did find a bottle of foundation; which she applied, somewhat clumsily, until the mark on her face was no longer visible. After that, she dressed in her school uniform and crept down the stairs. She marveled at how quiet the house had become from one day to the next. Usually, by this time, her aunt was up making breakfast and her uncle was getting ready for work. But now, her aunt was gone and her uncle was probably still in an alcohol induced sleep. As her thoughts drifted to her uncle, Sora hastened into the kitchen and began to rummage around in the fridge for some eggs. She only found two, enough for just one omelette, and made a mental note to buy some eggs on the way home from school. She quickly made a ham and cheese omelette for her uncle and set it out on a plate for him. She was washing the pan when her uncle staggered down the stairs. His eyes were bloodshot and he was still wearing the clothes he had been wearing the previous night. He entered the kitchen and without a word to Sora, sat at the table and began to eat his omelette. Sora washed and dried the pan very quickly, avoiding eye-contact with her uncle the entire time. She had just finished drying the pan and was about to leave, deciding that she would get something to eat at school, when her uncle walked over to her with his dirty plate in his hands. He turned the plate upside down and smeared the left over contents on the newly washed pan that Sora had been about to put away. He grinned cruelly and said, "It looks like you have some more work to do."  
  
Sora made no response, not trusting herself to speak. She just stared at her uncle with what she hoped was an expressionless gaze until he turned and left the kitchen. Sora began to wash the pan again, focusing all her attention on that one menial task in order to stop her mind from dwelling on what had just happened. When she finished washing the pan for the second time, she quickly washed the plate and put both away. She wrote the word 'eggs' on her hand to remind herself that she needed to buy them, then looked at the clock. Her eyes widened as she saw how late it was. She grabbed her bag, keys and shoes and ran all the way to school.  
  
The fact that she had run in five minutes a route that usually took her twenty minutes to complete did not change the fact that she was late. She showed up at her homeroom, flushed and breathing hard, but late nonetheless.  
  
"Sora," said her homeroom teacher, Mr. Morgan, "You are late."  
  
"I'm very sorry Mr. Morgan," Sora said, breathlessly, "It won't happen again."  
  
"That's very nice to hear Sora, but I'm afraid I will have to give you a detention. You will stay after school today."  
  
Sora flushed even more at his words. She had never gotten a detention before. She looked down out of shame, and then spied the word 'eggs' that she had written on her had earlier. She looked back up at Mr. Morgan and said quietly, "Does is have to be today afterschool, sir? You see, I have something that I have to do and..."  
  
"I'm afraid detentions cannot be scheduled around your social life, Sora." Mr. Morgan said sarcastically, causing some members of her class to snicker.  
  
"But, sir..."  
  
"No more arguments, Sora. You will serve a detention after school today and that is final. Now, please, take your seat."  
  
Sora walked over to her desk, her face bright red and her head bent low. What was she going to do? She had to buy eggs and then be home in time to make dinner for her uncle. If she didn't...she had not idea what would happen. Sora stared at the word written on her hand, bidding herself not to cry.  
  
"I don't think you are being very fair, Mr. Morgan," Tai said suddenly, "Don't we usually get three chances before we get a detention? I mean, this is the first time Sora has been late, or done anything wrong at all. She deserves two more chances before she gets a detention. That's the way the school rules work."  
  
Mr. Morgan surveyed Tai closely, then looked at Sora. Sora tried to meet his gaze evenly, though she was aware that her face was still flushed and her eyes were somewhat glassy. Mr. Morgan then looked back at Tai with a slight smile playing at his lips. Everyone knew that Mr. Morgan was strict, but he tended to be more lenient towards students that he liked. One of those students was Tai.   
  
"Very well Tai, you have made an excellent point. Sora, you will not serve a detention today, but consider this your first strike. Two more, and you will serve a detention."  
  
"Thank-you, sir." Sora said softly, then she turned and glanced gratefully at Tai. Mr. Morgan finished attendance and then dismissed them for their first period class. Sora, Tai and some other students had English first period; English took place in their homeroom, so they sat there and waited for their teacher.  
  
"Thank-you so much Tai. You're a life saver."  
  
"No problem Sora," he said, while moving up to a desk next to her, "Why were you so late?"  
  
Sora paused for a minute before replying, "My alarm clock go off this morning."  
  
"Oh. Cool. You want to play soccer after school?"  
  
"I wish I could Tai, but I wasn't lying to Mr. Morgan, I really do have something to do after school."  
  
"Alright, then we'll play another time." He said, grinning at her. She tried to grin back, but that caused pain to spread through her injured cheek.  
  
"Are you alright, Sora?"   
  
Fortunately, she was saved from answering him by the entrance of their English teacher. As the lesson began, Sora focused on taking notes in order to distract her mind.  
  
~*~  
  
At lunch, Sora and Tai joined up with the rest of the older digidestined (meaning, Kari and TK aren't there). Sora took her place across from Mimi who was trying to explain something to Izzy, who was obviously not agreeing with her. Sora noticed Joe roll his eyes as the two continued to bicker and she grinned inwardly. Tai was sitting beside Sora, and then Matt walked over and sat beside Tai. The digidestineds were still the best of friends, even though at school they couldn't see each other all the time. Sora, Matt and Tai had some classes together since they were all the same age. Joe was a year older than them, and so never had classes with them. Izzy and Mimi a year younger, but Izzy was in Sora's Math and Chemisrty class since he had been moved up. Mimi was in Sora and Matt's French class after the teacher discovered she could speak french almost fluently. So, it wasn't like they never saw each other; and they had made a deal to have lunch together every day.   
  
Sora began to eat her cafeteria bought lunch much faster than she normally would have. She hadn't had any breakfast and was extremely hungry. She was half way through her macaroni and cheese when she realized that the others were staring at her. She swallowed her mouthful of food and asked, "What?"  
  
"Are you sure you're eating fast enough there, Sora?" Matt asked.  
  
"Very funny Matt. I didn't have any breakfast so I'm really hungry."  
  
Mimi eyed her friend suspiciously before asking, "You're not dieting, are you?"  
  
"Of course not Mimi!" Sora exclaimed, thinking back to the time when Mimi had binge-dieted and Sora had found out.  
  
"Good, cause I know from experience what can happen to you."  
  
"So do I Mimi, so don't worry. My alarm didn't go off this morning so I didn't have time to eat any breakfast." Sora lied, for the second time that day. Luckily, everyone believed her and reverted back to their usual lunch-time talk.  
  
~*~  
  
Sora managed to get through the rest of the day without lying again. As soon as the last bell rang, she began to pack her bag quickly and did not notice Tai come up beside her.  
  
"You sure you can't play soccer?" he asked. Sora jumped and dropped the book she had been about to put in her bag.  
  
"Don't scare me like that Tai! And yes, I am sure I can't play. I really have stuff to do at home; believe me, I would much rather be playing."  
  
She bent down to pick up her book at the same time Tai did. Unfortunately, his forehead hit her already injured cheek. Sora was unable to hold back the exclamation of pain that rose to her lips as pain tore through her cheek. She held her cheek with one hand and hastily stuffed the book into her bag with the other. Muttering something about having a toothache she quickly left the school to get away from Tai's questioning look.  
  
Sora got home later than usual, since she had stopped to buy some groceries. When she entered the house, she found her uncle sitting in his easy chair, a beer bottle in his hand and three empty ones on the table beside him. Sora moved to pick up the empty bottles, thinking her uncle was not focused enough to notice her, but just as she reached for the first bottle, he snapped out of his drunken stupor and grabbed her wrist.  
  
"You're late."  
  
"I-I'm sorry Uncle Andrew. I had to stop by the store to pick up some groceries."  
  
Her uncle tightened his grip on her wrist until it was painful. "Did you go anywhere else?"  
  
"No. I just went to the store to buy some eggs and some vegetables because I noticed that we hardly had any."  
  
Her uncle stared at her for a long moment before shoving her away forcefully. "I don't like vegetables." he spat before climbing up the stairs to his room. Sora collected herself and then began to make a quick dinner, consisting of a noodle dish. Once it was ready, Sora served her uncle a large portion and set it on the table. She served herself a slightly smaller portion and ate it quickly while she cleaned everything up. She picked up her bag and began to walk to her room, but paused in front of her uncle's door, wondering if she should tell him that his dinner was ready. Finally deciding that it would be best to inform him, she took a deep breath and knocked on his door. I was a minute or two before he opened it and glared out at her.  
  
"Your dinner is ready Uncle Andrew."  
  
"You expect me to go downstairs and eat it?!" he asked with a crude laugh, "You will bring it up to me. Now, go." And with that, he shoved her backwards so viciously that she flew into the wall that had been a good six feet away from her. He continued to glare at her, as if waiting for her to complain. Well, she was not going to give into what he wanted. She picked herself up calmly and walked back down the stairs to set his dinner out on a tray. She brought it up to him and delivered it into his room, all the while her face set in a rigid, frozen, emotionless expression. She did her homework until her uncle yelled for her to 'come and take down that god-damned tray'. The expression on her face never changed, never faltered. After her uncle had finally fallen asleep, Sora was able to finish her homework. It had been much easier this night then on previous nights since her mind was so clear. She had kept her mind free of everything except of whatever task she was focusing on at the moment. After her homework was finished and she had nothing else to do, she walked into her bathroom to start getting ready for bed. While in the bathroom, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror, and was surprised to see that it did not look like her at all.   
  
'This is the way it has to be from now on,' she told herself while washing her face, 'I can't let myself feel things, because if I do, he will get to me or I will tell someone and then he will win. I won't let him win.'   
  
Sora slipped into sleep with this one thought in mind. She was going to fight him, even if it meant not feeling anything ever again.  
  
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DW: To be continued...  
  
Irie: *sarcastic* Wow...that was interesting.  
  
DW: Oh shut up. And there will be Taiora in this, I promise, but it will be in later chapters. There will be a bit of light taiora coming up soon, but the major stuff will happen later.  
  
Irie: How nice.  
  
DW: Please r/r people. I would like to get some reviews for this chapter before I keep going with the story so please review if you have and questions, comments, queries...or flames.   
  
Irie: Please review! 


	3. The Magic Begins

DW: I am finally updating.  
  
Irie: Could it have taken you any longer?  
  
DW: I see you are copying my trademarked sarcasm.  
  
Irie: Just get on with it.  
  
DW: Fine fine. Disclaimer?  
  
Irie: DW does NOT own digimon.  
  
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Sora woke before her alarm sounded. She walked quietly into her bathroom and examined the bruise on her cheek. It was no longer recognizable as a bruise, since it had faded into a red mark over night. Sora sighed and moved to retrieve the make-up necessary to cover the bruise. She stopped before she reached it, wincing in pain. She tried to stretch out her arms once again, but felt burning pain tear through her back and arms. Tears sprung to Sora's eyes, but she fought them off while thinking about what could have caused this pain. She cast her mind back to the previous night, when her uncle had thrown her into the wall. Sora sighed and began to apply make-up to her cheek, attempting to ignore the pain that movement brought her. She quickly dismissed the idea of getting her back looked at by a doctor. That would be letting him win.  
  
After dressing and packing her bag, Sora crept in to the kitchen and began to deftly prepare breakfast. Half-way through the preparations, Sora dropped a pan. She stood, frozen, as the sound of metal hitting wood echoed through the house. Luckily, she heard no sound indicating that her uncle had awoken. Sora retrieved the pan and continued preparing breakfast.  
  
'I'm a prisoner in this house.' she though solemnly.  
  
She placed her uncle's breakfast on the table and glanced at the clock.  
  
"Shoot!" she hissed, noting the time. She skipped breakfast and ran out of the house, praying that she wouldn't be late again.  
  
~*~  
  
"Five minutes late Sora. It seems that you are making quite a habit of this." Mr. Morgan said while surveying her. Normally, Sora would have been upset at being humiliated in front of the entire class. Today, however, she stood there, gazing back at Mr. Morgan with no expression on her face.  
  
"Did you hear me Sora?"  
  
This seemed to require an answer. Sora took a steadying breath and answered, "Yes sir. I heard you."  
  
"This is your second strike, if we are going by Tai's system. I suggest you be more careful from now on unless you want to end up in detention."  
  
Sora did not trust herself to make a civilized answer, so she shrugged and walked over to her desk. In an effort to ignore the stares from fellow classmates, she glanced out the window. She did not move her gaze as Mr. Morgan continued to talk about the importance of being punctual. The bell sounded, and as usual, Sora stayed in her seat for English class. She heard Tai move up beside her, and was about to turn to greet him when something stopped her. Sora stared more intently out the window, wondering what she had just seen. It had been dark in colour and somehow, it did not look human. Sora's hand traveled unbidden to her crest as she continued to stare out the window.  
  
'There can't be a digimon here.can there? It just doesn't make sense. I must be seeing things.but I can't help feeling that there was something.'  
  
"Sora?" Came Tai's voice, penetrating her thoughts.  
  
Sora tore her gaze away from the window and turned it to Tai. Tai looked with worry at the crimson eyes that gazed at him. Sora's eyes were usually so full of life, of emotion. But now, they didn't look like her eyes at all.  
  
"Why did you call me, Tai?"  
  
"I was wondering if you were alright."  
  
"I'm fine!" Sora snapped, without thinking, "How many times do I have to tell you?!"  
  
"Excuse me for being worried!" Tai snapped back.  
  
Sora eyed him icily and he averted his gaze. Tai knew that Sora could have quite a temper when she was ready, but it rarely flared up. Tai had only seen part of Sora's temper in the digital world and while defending her friends. He had never seen all of it, and in a way, he was afraid to.  
  
Sora watched Tai drop his gaze. She felt no remorse for her outburst. If he didn't want to get yelled at, then he should stay out of her life. She continued to eye him icily until class began. She then stared at the teacher with a bored expression, the incident with the creature at the window nothing more than a distant memory.  
  
~*~  
  
Sora debated whether or not to sit with her friends at lunch. If she skipped their traditional lunch, her friends would suspect something. She sighed as she joined the lunch line. Having friends was such a hassle. They all claimed to 'love' her and she had never before realized how pathetic love was. Sora moved up in line and dug in her bag for her wallet, but it was not there. Sora continued to search, holding up the line, before remembering that she had left her wallet on the kitchen counter. She cursed angrily and stalked towards her usual table. Upon reaching her table Sora sat down heavily and glanced at her friends. The conversation had lessened noticeably when Sora sat down. She glanced around the table at her friends, but refused to return any of their concerned glances.  
  
"Where is your lunch Sora?"  
  
"It's not here, is it?"  
  
Sora heard Mimi gasp at the harsh comment. Sora glanced at her pink haired friend just in time to see her exchange a worried look with Tai. Sora rolled her eyes. Why must they pretend to care about her? Pathetic.  
  
"Do you want some of my sandwich, Sora? I have a big lunch today."  
  
"Matt, if I wanted some of your food, I would have asked for it. If I'm not hungry then I don't have to eat! Get off my case!"  
  
There was a collective silence at the digidestined table. Sora didn't look at anyone, but as she reflected on her behaviour during the day, she realized that she had been treating everyone badly as a result of anger. And anger was an emotion: the exact things she said she was going to avoid. Sora pushed herself away from the table and walked swiftly out of the cafeteria, leaving six confused people staring after her.  
  
~*~  
  
Sora retreated to the girl's bathroom which, by some miracle, was empty. She stared at her reflection, noting yet again, the changes to her features. Her cheek was not visibly swollen, but it still pained her from time to time. Her back and shoulders caused her pain every time she moved, and though she hadn't been able to look at them, she was certain that the bones were damaged. Sora sighed and her reflection slumped with the same look of defeat.  
  
'No,' she thought, upon noting the look of disconcertion, 'I won't give up. If I feel nothing other than anger, he can't win. As long as I stay a step ahead of him, he can't win.'  
  
Sora composed herself and exited the bathroom right before the bell rang. She made her way against the flow of students towards her French classroom. Mimi sat beside her, but did not talk. Instead, she glanced nervously at Sora from time to time. Matt sat behind Mimi, and when they weren't staring at Sora, the pair would exchange long, meaningful looks. Sora hated it. She was so wrapped up in her anger that she did not notice the strange, black creature pass by the window once again.  
  
~*~  
  
When the end of the day arrived, Sora was the first student to leave. She decided to avoid the bus in order to elude any confrontations with the digidestined. She walked quickly down the street, focusing her gaze on the ground.  
  
"Sora!! Sora, wait!" rang out a voice from behind her.  
  
Sora paused, but did not turn. She did not need to see the owner of the voice to recognize who it was. She had known Tai long enough for that. Sora felt that she could not face Tai. If anyone had the power to see through her lies, it was Tai. Sora increased her pace as if she had not heard Tai at all. She heard him call her name twice more before finally giving up the chase.  
  
'I'm sorry Tai,' she thought, 'but I can't see you right now. Stop caring about me. It would be better for you if you did.'  
  
Sora shook her head in a weak attempt to rid her mind of the words running through it.  
  
'That was the old Sora talking.' She concluded, 'As the new Sora, I don't feel stuff like that. I don't feel anything whatsoever.'  
  
~*~  
  
Sora arrived home and mechanically removed the empty beer bottles from the kitchen and living room. The mess in the house showed that her uncle had been awake, but there was no sign of him now. Sora sighed and began to straighten up the house, her mind completely blank. Her uncle did not appear. At six o'clock, she began to cook dinner, wondering for the first time where her uncle could be. Hours passed, and her uncle did not return. Sora exhaled heavily as she wondered what to do.  
  
'Should I look for him?' she debated, 'I mean, if he ran off and got himself killed, that's not my problem.'  
  
That thought would have shocked Sora before her transformation. Now, it seemed like a perfectly logical thing to think. Her uncle wasn't her responsibility, as far as she was concerned. Her meditations were broken by a figure on the balcony. Sora blinked and the figure was gone.  
  
'I'm seeing things.'  
  
Just then, the front door slammed.  
  
"Wench!"  
  
Sora refused to answer to such a derogatory name, and so remained in the kitchen. She did not have to wait long, for her uncle stumbled into the kitchen. Even from a distance, Sora could smell the alcohol on him. She wrinkled her nose and continued her work.  
  
"Didn't you hear me? I called you."  
  
Sora remained silent once again.  
  
"We're out of beer," her uncle slurred, "so I had to go out and drink at a bar. I don't want to run out of beer ever again. Another one of your jobs is took keep the fridge full of beer. Understand me, slave?"  
  
"I don't know if you have the wits to notice," Sora snapped, "But I am not legally old enough to buy beer." Sora did not care about being polite; she knew her uncle was too drunk to remember anything.  
  
"Don't you mouth off to me! I want beer, and I will get it."  
  
"Then buy it yourself."  
  
Her uncle approached her slowly, emitting a low, sinister laugh. He grabbed Sora's wrists and spun her around so quickly that she yelped in spite of herself.  
  
"Let go of me!"  
  
"Listen Sora, and listen good. I call the shots in this house, and if you don't do what I want, I will make you wish you had never been born."  
  
"Get off."  
  
Her uncle merely gripped her tighter and continued to laugh. He slipped a card into Sora's pocket and said roughly, "That was your mother's ID. You're as ugly as she was, so you should have no trouble pulling it off. I had a friend change the age so that it says you are 21 instead of an old broad. Now, you can buy beer."  
  
"I won't do it."  
  
"Oh yes, you will. Unless you want me to tell everyone the role you played in your parents' death."  
  
Sora stared, caught off guard.  
  
"Oh, so you don't know? I thought everyone knew." He laughed and continued. "Your parents' death was not an accident. They committed suicide because they couldn't stand to be around you. They needed to get away from you, so they killed themselves. But then, that landed you with us, and you screwed up my marriage too. Wench. No one wants you around. You don't know how to show love.not a very good attribute, witch."  
  
"Lair," Sora managed to choke out. "Liar."  
  
"Lying am I? Just ask your parents. Wait, you can't.and it's all your fault."  
  
Sora wrenched herself from her uncle's grasp, bruising her wrists in the process. She ran upstairs, hearing her uncle laugh and call, "I like Labatt."  
  
~*~  
  
Sora collapsed on her bed and let the tears consume her.  
  
'It's not true.no. It can't be true.'  
  
Sora's body shook with sobs as she though about everything her uncle had just said. Were his words merely the ravings of a drunken fool, or was there some truth behind them? Sora remembered something DemiDevimon had told her back in the digital world, 'You don't know what love is.'  
  
Sora's tears did not subside for nearly an hour, and when they did, Sora felt sick. She caused bad things to happen. She destroyed love. Sora viscously tore her crest off her neck and glared at the mocking symbol of love. Sora flung the crest across her room and sank onto her bed feeling hollow. She did not know how much longer she could survive in this atmosphere. Being angry all day had masked her feelings, and she knew she would have to maintain the façade of anger.  
  
It was many hours before Sora calmed enough to fall into a fitful sleep, one she wished she would never awake from.  
  
~*~  
  
Had Sora stayed downstairs, she would have seen the cause of her fury and confusion. After his conversation with Sora, her uncle had collapsed into a chair and soon fell into an alcohol induced sleep. At that moment of stillness, a dark figure rose out of her uncle's body. The figure smiled at its accomplishments and left the house silently, never opening a door or window.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
DW: YAY!!  
  
Irie: O_o You need help.  
  
DW: Yeah, I know. Anyhow, thank you SO much to all my wonderful reviewers. I love you all. I am glad that you are enjoying the story! (  
  
Irie: Please review!! 


	4. Shots

DW: Yes, yes, it's been a disgustingly long time, so I'm just going to get back into it.  
  
Irie: She owns nothing but the plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sora hurled her alarm clock across the room as it sounded. She pulled the pillow over her face in a weak attempt to block the sun's bright rays. She wanted to avoid school, pretend she had the flu. She lay in her small bed, the events of the previous night played over and over in her mind.  
  
"They committed suicide because they couldn't stand to be around you. They  
needed to get away from you, so they killed themselves."  
  
She loathed her uncle for his words. She pushed herself off her bed and trudged into her bathroom. She examined the red mark on her cheek, lifted her shirt and checked the bruises along her spine. Sora reached for the make-up by instinct, then paused. She remembered how her friends had pestered her, demanded to know what was wrong. She replaced the makeup and pulled her hair off her face.  
  
'Well, they wanted to know what was wrong. Let's see how they deal with it.'  
  
She re-entered her room and walked toward her closet. She paused as she heard something crunch under her foot. She looked down and saw her crest lying among the shattered remains of her alarm clock. Her weight had cracked the small glass covering on the crest.  
  
'Now it's even more useless than before.'  
  
She thought as she traced the crack with her finger. Sora shrugged and carelessly threw the crest onto her messy bed. She tore her uniform out of her closet and sloppily pulled on the uncomfortable green and white fabric.  
  
Sora entered the kitchen and glanced at the clock, school started in ten minutes. Sora grinned and served herself a large bowl of cereal. She opened an old magazine and leafed through it as she slowly ate her cereal.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Sora left for school.  
  
~*~  
  
"Sora, you're nearly half an hour late. And your uniform...what happened?" Mr. Morgan demanded.  
  
Sora stood in front of the class, her gaze fixed out the window. She had rolled her skirt an inch higher than the rules allowed, her shirt hung un- tucked, and her tie held her bangs off her face.  
  
"Sora, did you hear me? You're half an hour late..."  
  
"Yeah, I can see that." Sora snapped. The class inhaled sharply. Sora had never spoken back to the teacher, let alone snapped at one. Mr. Morgan collected himself and spoke again, an icy tone in his voice.  
  
"Sora, this is your third strike. You will serve detention for the rest of the week. Meet me here after school.  
  
"Whatever." Came Sora's response as she slid into her seat. The bell rang and most of the students left for class. Sora fixed her gaze on Mr. Morgan as he collected his books. He returned her gaze once, and Sora saw a hint of sympathy. She snorted loudly and shoved her hands into her blazer pockets. She started as she felt a small, hard object in her pocket. She pulled it out to see her new, fake ID. Sora smirked at the small card, thought about the freedom it gave her. Not only could she buy alcohol, she could get into bars, clubs. Sora replaced the card in her pocket and tore a sheet of paper from her binder. She began to write a list of places she would visit with her new freedom, laughed at her uncle's stupidity. He had not meant to give her so much freedom, he only wanted beer. Sora heard Tai move to the desk beside her, she turned her head before Tai could say a word.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just wanted to say hi to my best friend. Is that against the law now?"  
  
"Depends where you live." Sora turned back to her list, added a couple more names.  
  
"What happened to your cheek?" Tai asked carefully.  
  
Sora shrugged, "Something." She replied ambiguously.  
  
"That's not an answer." Tai muttered.  
  
"It is if I want it to be." Sora retorted. Tai opened his mouth to respond.  
  
"Drop it if you value our friendship." Sora warned. Tai's eyes widened as he gazed at the girl sitting beside him. She had changed drastically in the past few days. As class started Tai tuned out the lesson, worried about Sora.  
  
'Why won't she tell me what's wrong?' he demanded himself. 'We've been friends forever, and now, this.'  
  
Sora filled a page with names of bars and clubs she planned to attend. She folded her list and placed it in her pocket, next to her ticket of escape.  
  
~*~  
  
Before lunch, Sora counted out her money. She had enough to buy a good amount of alcohol as long as she didn't eat any lunch. She replaced her wallet and walked past the cafeteria and entered the stairwell that led to the roof. She dropped down on an abandoned crate and stared out at the horizon. She watched people mill around below her, hurrying for one place to another like ants. She grew tired of watching people and slipped off the crate onto the tar roof. She lay on the ground; the sun's heat warmed her sore body. Sora yawned slightly, the exhaustion of the past few days had caught up with her.  
  
'He can't stop me from being free. He just can't'  
  
Sora drifted off to sleep with this one thought on her mind.  
  
As Sora slept, the black figure appeared on the roof, bent over her relaxed form.  
  
"Awww, the poor thing is exhausted." It hissed, its voice riddled with sarcasm and irony. The creature stretched out a dark hand and stroked Sora's bruised cheek. The red mark darkened and Sora winced in her sleep as the pain increased.  
  
"You're progressing very nicely, Sora." It whispered and disappeared with a crude laugh. Sora awoke sharply, her cheek throbbed with pain. She scowled at the black roof then glanced at her watch. She had slept through her fourth period class and only five minutes remained before school ended. She stretched and walked towards the stairs, one hand cupped over her injured cheek. She took one final glance at the quiet black roof then re-entered the school building.  
  
~*~  
  
Sora walked quietly to her locker. She hoped to retrieve her books and leave before the final bell. As she shut her locker, Mr. Morgan exited the classroom behind her.  
  
"Sora? Where are you going." He demanded. Sora turned slowly, fuming at being caught.  
  
"Nowhere, I guess." She responded angrily.  
  
"Follow me."  
  
Sora shifted the weight of her backpack and trekked behind Mr. Morgan. He led her to his empty classroom and walked to the blackboard. "Take a seat, Sora."  
  
Sora tossed her backpack to the floor viciously and flung herself into a chair. Mr. Morgan watched her display then turned to the board and wrote 'Detention'. Sora sighed loudly. "What? Just incase I didn't know where I was?"  
  
Mr. Morgan turned to her, his light eyes worried.  
  
"Sora, I think you need to talk to someone."  
  
"I disagree."  
  
"You've changed Sora. I know that people change as they grow up, but I've never seen a person change so much in less than a week."  
  
"These things happen."  
  
"Not without prompting." He replied. "Is everything alright at home?"  
  
Sora blinked. "Maybe."  
  
"You have an interesting talent for being excessively vague."  
  
"Good for me."  
  
The two sat in silence. Sora traced the lines on her desk while Mr. Morgan tapped his fingers thoughtfully. Then, he spoke, "Sora, I know that you've had a very emotional year with the death of your..."  
  
"Don't pretend you know me." Sora interrupted quickly.  
  
"Are you afraid to talk about their deaths?" he asked, gently. Sora turned around in her chair, faced the back of the classroom. She heard Mr. Morgan sigh softly and retreat to his chair. Sora rested her head on her knees, built a protective cocoon. She began to list off the names of the bars she would visit.  
  
'Gabby's, Touch 'n Go, Firkin...'  
  
~*~  
  
Sora ran out of the detention room as soon as her time ended. She sprinted through the school and toward the beer store. She paused in front of the store, attempted to steady her ragged breaths. Finally, she entered the store, calm and confident. She pulled two cases of Labatt Blue from the shelf and tossed them in her small cart. Then, she wheeled around, looking at all the other choices. Eventually she decided on a small bottle of sparkling wine. She wheeled her cart to the cashier, placed her choices on the cashier.  
  
"May I see some ID?" he asked. Sora pulled the card from her pocket and placed it on the counted. The cashier looked at Sora, then the card. Sora stood calmly, regarded the cashier with a look of superiority. Finally, the cashier handed her back the card and punched in the prices. Sora paid and watched the cashier bag her purchase.  
  
"Put the wine in as separate bag." She said. The cashier nodded, followed Sora's orders. Sora left the store and carefully placed the wine in her backpack. The she made her way home.  
  
Sora entered the house three hours later than her uncle expected. She entered the kitchen and was greeted by a slap to the face. She staggered slightly, then straightened.  
  
"Where the hell have you been?" he demanded loudly, Sora could already smell the alcohol on his breath, he must have visited a bar. She held out the bags containing the beer.  
  
"I've been doing what you told me to." She commented dryly. Her uncle snatched the bags from her hand and drank an entire beer in one swallow. He crushed the empty can and tossed it into the sink.  
  
"I wanted it in bottles." He hissed venomously and shoved Sora forcefully. Sora hit the wall, her backpack crushed by her weight. She heard the bottle of wine shatter and felt the cold liquid being to seep through her bag. She cursed angrily as she stripped off her backpack and attempted to remove her books before the wine destroyed them. Her uncle saw the disaster in her pack and smacked Sora so hard she slid across the floor.  
  
"Holding out on me!" He yelled, approached Sora menacingly. Sora felt fear rise, but pushed it down with her anger. She stood, glared at her uncle.  
  
"I can buy whatever I want! It's my money."  
  
"You ungrateful cow!" He bellowed, gripped Sora's shoulder's and shook her violently. Her list of bars and clubs fell from her pocket. He shoved Sora away and picked up the paper, scanned the names. "Bars and clubs? You actually thought they'd let YOU in?!"  
  
"I have ID." Sora spat, without thinking.  
  
Her uncle's eyes widened, his face took on a red tinge. "You have ID for one purpose only: to buy things for me." He hissed dangerously. "So you'd thought you'd take advantage of my generosity and have some fun, did you? You'll pay for it."  
  
Sora's fear took over, and she scrambled toward the stairs. She sprinted to her room and locked her door, propped a chair against the handle. She quickly pulled a backpack from her closet and began to throw her belongings in it. Clothes, money, pictures, her digivice, her tag and crest...  
  
Sora's hand paused after she had added the crest. Did she truly need it? What had made her pack such a useless item? She reached into her bad to remove it and heard her uncle throw himself against the door. Panic replaced doubt as her uncle, more intoxicated that she had ever seen him, tried to enter her room. Sora threw several more items into her bag and turned to her window as the wood of her door began to splinter. She threw a final glance around her room and saw a picture of her parents on her bed side table. She lunged across the room for the picture and heard a sound that made her stop in terror. A gun shot. She turned to the door and saw a large round hole in her door: the bullet hole. Sora pulled the picture from her table, knocked the phone to the ground in the process. She dashed to the window as the door collapsed and her uncle stumbled into her room.  
  
"You'll pay for everything that you did! You'll pay for the way you ruined my life!" he shouted, waved the small gun over his head. Sora kicked her window open and stepped down onto an ivy covered trellis, prayed it would hold her weight. As she lowered herself out the window, her uncle attempted to steady the gun. He fired once, the shot went slightly wide, skimming Sora's forearm. Sora gasped in pain, clung to the trellis with one arm. He uncle pointed the gun again. Sora knew she could not climb in her state. She took a deep breath and let go of the trellis. She hit the groud with such for that her knees gave out and she fell to the ground, rolled into a tree. She lay, hidden by the tree as her uncle raged by her window.  
  
"If you ever come back here, I'll kill you! You're dead Sora! Dead!" he left the window and thudded down the stairs. Sora picked herself up, cradled her injured arm and ran. She did not realize where she was going until she found herself gasping and coughing on Tai's doorstep. She slowly raised a shaking fist and knocked on his door. Tai opened the door and gazed in shock at his pale, injured friend.  
  
"Sora!"  
  
"I didn't know where else to go." Sora murmured and fainted into Tai's arms.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
DW: There we go, yet another chapter finished.  
  
Irie: It's taken you long enough.  
  
DW: Oh shut up. 


	5. Her Hatred

Gato: Why does it take me so long to update?

Irie: Cause you procrastinate.

Gato: Good point. Well, I might as well get on with this. I apologize for how long it has taken me to update. I might have updated sooner if hadn't deleted two of my stories and banned me from updating.

Irie: Stay calm.

Gato: I am calm. As calm as a raging bull.

Irie: Right. Well, gato owns nothing but the plot.

Gato: Oh, and I changed my screen name for those of you who have not noticed.

.................................

Sora shifted and slowly opened her eyes. She met the concerned, brown eyes of Tai. The tense muscles in his face relaxed into a grin. "You're awake."

"Where am I? What...what happened." Sora blinked and attempted to focus upon her surroundings. The harsh light reflected off the sterile white of the room.

"You're in the hospital."

"How long have I been here?" Sora leaned on her right arm and winced in pain. Images of the night when she received her injury entered her mind. Vicious, painful snapshots: her uncle with the gun, the bullet grazing her arm, his harsh words. Sora shuddered.

Tai instinctively took her hand. "The police picked your uncle up last night. The doctors looked at all of your injuries and could tell you were being abused. The bullet wound alone was enough to get the cops suspicious. When they found him passed out and clutching the gun, they arrested him."

"Tai, how long have I been here?"

"You passed out on my doorstep two days ago."

"Two days!" Sora attempted to sit up. A black haze narrowed her vision and she sank back onto the pillow. "Two days," she murmured.

"We've all been really worried about you." Tai stared at his best friend.

"We?"

"Yeah, everyone. Me, Kari, Mimi, Joe, everyone." Sora merely shook her head in response. Tai continued to watch her, "Sora, why didn't you tell us what was happening at home. We care about you and we could have helped! If you had just told us..."

"It was none of your business." Sora snapped coldly. "It's still none of your business."

"Sora, you're my best friend and lo...and I really care about you. Of course it's my business."

"You care about me?"

"Of course I do."

"Then leave me alone and stop pretending to understand me." Sora glared at the white sheets. Tai sat back in his chair and sighed. A dark shape flitted past the window. Neither teen noticed.

... ... ...

After several more minutes of trying to talk to Sora, Tai left her alone. He exited her room as a doctor and two nurses entered to check on her. On the way to the cafeteria, he met Mimi and Izzy.

"How is Sora?" Mimi asked. She held a bouquet of roses in one hand and a stuffed toy in the other.

Tai shrugged in response, "She's still the same as she was in school. She says that what happened to her is none of our business and she wants to be left alone."

"Don't worry about it Tai," Izzy assured his distraught friend, "I've read that victims of abuse are sometimes prone of mood swings like hers."

"But, it's just not like Sora to be like this."

"I agree with Tai." Mimi clutched the flowers tightly, "I think there may be something more that she isn't telling us."

"You two have to remember everything that she's been through," Izzy implored, "she lost her parents very recently and then her uncle started abusing her. It's very natural that she is so defensive."

Mimi frowned, "I don't know. Well, I'm going to try and talk to her anyway. Want to come, Tai?"

"I was just there..."

"So? You're her best friend. If anyone can break through to her, you can."

.........

Tai, Mimi and Izzy entered Sora's room as the doctor was finishing up his examination of a very uncooperative Sora.

"Miss Takenouchi, you must take your medicine. You will not get better if you don't."

"What's the big deal? If I don't get better, then I don't get better."

The doctor sighed and glanced at the three other teens. He placed two pills on Sora's food tray, nodded to Tai and left. Mimi stepped forward and placed her gifts on Sora's bed. She hugged the red-head, but Sora made no response. "How are you feeling, Sora?"

"I would be better if people would stop worrying about me." Sora snapped.

"You're our friend, Sora. We'll always worry about you and care about you. We lo..."

"You what?" Sora interrupted harshly, "You love me?"

"Of course we do. After everything we've been through together, how could we not love you?"

Sora snorted loudly, "That's very cute, Mimi, but love isn't real." No one responded to this comment. They watched Sora in shock. She continued to speak, her eyes darkening with every word. "There is no such thing as true love. If there was people wouldn't always be getting hurt. What's the point of loving people? All they ever do is leave and hurt you. That's what love is. Love is pain."

"Sora!" Mimi cried hysterically, "Sora, what are you saying? Don't you remember who you are? You're the bearer of love!"

"Don't tell me you still believe all that stuff that happened in the Digital World." Sora grabbed her knapsack from beside the bed and removed her crest from the bag. She held it up and showed them the cracks in the glass. She mockingly placed it on her neck. "You see. It's broken, it's useless. Just like love."

"That isn't true," Tai said firmly. Sora looked at him; her once crimson eyes resembled brown. "That isn't true and you know it Sora."

"No, Tai. I know the real truth. Unlike all of you, I'm no longer deceived by the fairy tale we used to live in."

"Sora, you're upset," Izzy attempted to reason with his friend, "It's natural for you to doubt things such as love..."

"I don't doubt it, Izzy. I know that love isn't real." She pulled the photograph of her parents out of her bag. "You see them?" No one answered. "Do you see them?! I loved them and now they're gone forever. Do you see this?" she viciously removed her bandage and showed them the bullet wound. "I loved my uncle and he gave me this along with many other injuries. This is what love gives you. Pain!" Sora gripped the picture tightly. The frame strained under her hands. She felt tears sting her eyes. Still, no one spoke. She held up the picture once more; her voice reached a hysterical pitch. "I want all of you to look at them. They're gone forever and it's all my fault!"

"Sora, no one blames you for what happened." Tai cried. "It was an accident!"

"No!" Sora hurled the frame away. It collided with the wall and shattered. "I loved them and they're gone. I hate love. I hate it! I hate everything that has to do with love. I hate you, all of you!" Her eyes darkened further. Izzy saw the glass on her crest begin to repair itself; he saw the image of love warp.

"Sora!" Mimi cried, frightened.

"Get out! Go away; I never want to see any of you ever again!"

"Sora, don't say things like that!" Mimi screamed.

"Come on," Izzy murmured. He dragged a screaming Mimi and a silent from Sora's room. Sora watched the leave then dissolved into tears.

.........

"NO! We can't just leave her alone! Something's wrong with her! Sora!" Mimi continued to scream as Izzy dragged her down the hall of the hospital. Tai followed silently, his eyes held a shocked expression.

"Mimi," Izzy said through clenched teeth, "if you don't shut up I swear I'm going to slap you."

Mimi hiccupped and fell silent. Tai finally awoke from his reverie, "Izzy, you know something, so why don't you spill the goddamn beans."

"Not now. We need to get the others. If I'm right, we're in a lot of trouble."

Tai moved quickly and grabbed Izzy by the collar. "Izzy, let me spell this out for you. Something is seriously wrong with my best friend and you know what it is. If you don't start talking, I swear I'm going to beat the crap out of you."

"Tai, let me go." Izzy said calmly.

"Talk first." Tai's grip on Izzy's collar tightened.

"Let me go now Tai, or else."

"Tell me what you know!"

In one swift movement, Izzy's fist connected with Tai's jaw. Tai staggered back in surprise, rubbing his jaw. Mimi merely gaped. Izzy adjusted his shirt and glanced at Tai, "I didn't hit you hard enough to break anything. Your jaw will just be sore for a bit. Have you calmed down?"

"Where the hell did you learn to hit like that?"

"I took some classes after we got back from the digital world. Now, let's get the others together. We need to have a meeting." Izzy continued on his way out of the hospital followed by an amazed Mimi and a sore Tai.

.........

Sora lay in the stiff, hospital bed. The tears had subsided and she allowed her eyes to wander along the ceiling. She failed to notice the changes to her crest. As she counted the spots in the failing light of dusk, a shadow moved. Sora sat up and searched of the source of the shadow. She saw several more flits of darkness along the walls and ceiling. She brought her gaze down and saw a dark shadowy figure standing before her. Sora yelled and recoiled from the creature. It smiled; the white teeth a harsh comparison to its black body.

"Hello, Sora," it hissed.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?"

"I am Despimon and I am the only creature that truly understands you."

"You're a digimon? What do you want with me?"

"You have power, Sora. An unthinkable power that I want to help you control."

"What power?"

"The power hidden in your crest."

"Love?!" Sora scoffed, "Please, you and I both know that love is not a power."

"I do not speak of love, Sora."

"But that's what my crest is. It's the crest of love."

"Perhaps you should look at it once more."

Sora slowly took the crest off from around her neck. The glass had repaired itself. Instead of the usual design, Sora saw a dagger piercing a small heart. "What is this?"

"This is your new crest, Sora: the crest of hatred."

Sora's newly darkened eyes flashed. She glanced once more at the spiteful creature before her. He appeared to be made of shadows. At times she could distinguish a body or arms. The only constant features were on its face. Two green eyes gleamed with a sickly light, the nose nothing more than a slight protrusion and the mouth lined with sharp, white teeth.

"You hold such power Sora and I am the only one who understands your powers. Come with me, and together we will show the world how foolish love really is."

Sora glanced at the shattered photo of her parents and felt the bullet wound. She nodded - her resolve strong.

"Very good, Sora." Despimon took Sora's hand and the two vanished.

.........

"...and her crest repaired itself." Izzy concluded the tale of what he, Mimi and Tai had experienced when they visited Sora.

"I didn't notice that..." Mimi whispered.

"So, what do you think it means?" Matt demanded.

"Something from the digital world is affecting Sora. Whatever it is is using her sorrow in order to manipulate her."

"Damn," Tai muttered.

"What are we going to do?" Joe asked.

"I didn't want to leave her alone, but we had to. By staying with her, we were fueling her hatred and making it easier for some digital creature to work its magic." Izzy sighed. "Unfortunately, we can't do anything until she calms down."

"What if the digital creature comes to get Sora or something?" Tai asked.

"Then we'll have to fight harder than we've ever imagined." Izzy replied.

.........

In a dark corner of the Digital World, a palace stood. From a distance it appeared to be a solid structure but in truth, it was woven out of trees. Their trunks and limbs intertwined unnaturally to form the intricate structure. In this strange place, the lair of Despimon, Sora emerged from a small room. Her eyes, now completely dark and hollow, spied Despimon. The Digimon grinned. "Who are you?"

"I am Princess Sora, servant of Lord Despimon and bearer of hatred."

"Very good," Despimon turned to a bird-creature beside Sora. It's once pink feathers had turned a deep magenta. "And you are?"

"Dark-Biyomon, servant of Princess Sora."

"Yes," Despimon's grin widened maliciously, "and Princess Sora, what is your purpose?"

"I serve and uphold the law of Lord Despimon. I will destroy all those who oppose us. Together, we will rule both worlds."

..............................

Gato: There, finally.

Irie: No kidding, finally.

Gato: I hope that everyone enjoyed that chapter. It was longer than I expected it to be. Next chapter...well you'll just have to keep reading if you want to find out.

Irie: Time for reviewer response...

TO karone-sakura: Thanks for the review! I'm glad that you like the story. Sorry it took me so long to update, but here's the chapter.

TO Shadowpoet: I'm glad the story interests you. And no, it's not corny. Thanks for taking the time to review.

Gato: Okay, I would like some more reviews if that would be possible. I'll try and update more frequently.

Irie: You all better review or else I'll sick my flying, orange cow on you!


	6. Hopefully

Gato: Yes, I know it has been forever and I promised to update more frequently. If you want my formal apology, go to my profile.

Irie: Guess what!! GUESS WHAT!!

Gato: What?

Irie: My orange and blue cow had a pink and purple baby!!

Gato: Wonderful...more insanely coloured farm animals.

Irie: _running around screaming happily_

Gato: Guess I'll have to do the disclaimer then. I do not own Digimon: Digital Monsters. I do own Despimon and I suppose I could say that I own the Crest of Hatred as well. OH!! And special thanks for Fanfic Fan for sort of reminding me that this story exists.

.........

**Gato: Since it has been so long since I last updated, I figured I would give you all a brief re-cap of what happened last time. It is important that you remember because this chapter continues directly from the previous one. Also, I know that time is faster in the digital world than the real one (at least, it was in the first season) and I will be using that in my story. Now, for the re-cap...**

"_...and her crest repaired itself." Izzy concluded the tale of what he, Mimi and Tai had experienced when they visited Sora._

"_I didn't notice that..." Mimi whispered._

"_So, what do you think it means?" Matt demanded._

"_Something from the digital world is affecting Sora. Whatever it is is using her sorrow in order to manipulate her."_

"_Damn," Tai muttered._

"_What are we going to do?" Joe asked._

"_I didn't want to leave her alone, but we had to. By staying with her, we were fueling her hatred and making it easier for some digital creature to work its magic." Izzy sighed. "Unfortunately, we can't do anything until she calms down."_

"_What if the digital creature comes to get Sora or something?" Tai asked._

"_Then we'll have to fight harder than we've ever imagined." Izzy replied._

_In a dark corner of the Digital World, a palace stood. From a distance it appeared to be a solid structure but in truth, it was woven out of trees. Their trunks and limbs intertwined unnaturally to form the intricate structure. In this strange place, the lair of Despimon, Sora emerged from a small room. Her eyes, now completely dark and hollow, spied Despimon. The Digimon grinned. "Who are you?"_

"_I am Princess Sora, servant of Lord Despimon and bearer of hatred."_

"_Very good," Despimon turned to a bird-creature beside Sora. It's once pink feathers had turned a deep magenta. "And you are?"_

"_Dark-Biyomon, servant of Princess Sora."_

"_Yes," Despimon's grin widened maliciously, "and Princess Sora, what is your purpose?"_

"_I serve and uphold the law of Lord Despimon. I will destroy all those who oppose us. Together, we will rule both worlds."_

........................

The Digidestined silently absorbed Izzy's comment. Mimi fidgeted with the carpet on Izzy's floor. Matt wished he had his harmonica. Joe polished his glasses repeatedly. Finally, Tai tore his gaze away from the wall, "You're saying we will have to fight Sora?"

"Yes Tai," Izzy stared at his friend, "Unfortunately, that is exactly what I am saying."

"Then why they hell did we leave her alone?" Tai roared.

Kari jumped and turned her soft eyes to her brother, "Tai, please, don't get upset..."

"Upset?" Tai ran a hand through his hair, "I am past upset Kari!"

"Calm down, man," Matt muttered and turned back to Izzy, "Izzy, do you...do you think that if it comes down to us fighting Sora we will have to...kill her?"

"Maybe," Izzy sighed, "if she doesn't kill us first that is."

TK frowned, "Sora would never hurt us, right Tai?"

"I don't know TK. I don't know anything anymore."

The Digidestineds sat in silence once more, each involved in their own thoughts. No one knew what to do next. Even Tai, their "leader", admitted to know nothing. Finally, Mimi spoke, "Should we go back to the hospital and keep and eye on her? I mean if she gets taken while we're all here..."

"Mimi's right!" Tai jumped up, "I'm going back to the hospital now."

"I'm coming with you," Mimi stood and pulled on her thin coat.

"I don't know if..." Izzy began.

"Wait for me," Matt interrupted. Izzy sighed.

"Well, if my brother is going, so am I," Kari called, accompanied by an enthusiastic TK.

"I might as well," Joe muttered.

Six teens stood and attempted to find their bags and shoes amid the jumble of belongings. They ignored the comments of the clever, auburn haired boy.

"Guys, just wait one minute...please..."

Finally, everyone found everything that belonged to them and followed Tai out of the room. Izzy's protests continued to go unheeded. He sighed loudly and glared after his friends. "I'd better go after them..."

Just then, his computer beeped to signify a new e-mail.

......

Princess Sora entered the palace, exhaustion evident in her gait. A pair of elbow blades rested against her arms. Dark-Biyomon followed slowly, her dark feathers ruffled. Princess Sora placed the blades in their appropriate place – on a wall lined with many different varieties of weapons. Dark-Biyomon watched her master's movements with dull, expressionless eyes.

"Come, Dark-Biyomon," Princess Sora called, "we must report to Lord Despimon."

"Yes, my lady."

Princess Sora entered Despimon's main room. The dark Digimon melded into his surroundings. He sat on a throne created from a warped tree stump. Everything in this room was created naturally, with one exception. On the far wall, behind a long table, a computer screen showed a map of the Digital World. Most areas possessed their usual colour, but many were black and grey. Princess Sora approached her master and knelt.

"I have returned, my lord."

"Very good, Princess," the shadow creature turned its eyes toward the screen. An area in the top-left corner lost all colour. Despimon smiled, his white teeth flashed in the torch-light. "I see that you were able to subdue the north-western desert."

"Yes, my lord. They are now servants to your word."

"Did they resist?"

"Yes, Lord Despimon. But, I showed them why resistance is terribly foolish."

The malicious creature's grin widened, "How many did you destroy?"

"I destroyed nearly a dozen."

"And you, Dark-Biyomon?"

"Fifteen, sire," the small Digimon met the sick, green eyes.

"Very good indeed," Despimon murmured, "Any prisoners?"

"No. They all gave in after I destroyed their digi-eggs. Hatred began to flow through them, and we were able to tap into it."

"I applaud both of you. Now, you may go and rest. Tomorrow you will attack the final resisting corner of the digital world. Once that is mine, we will be able to conquer this world in a matter of weeks."

"Yes, Lord Despimon."

......

Tai led his friends into the hospital. The six kids by-passed the frazzled secretary who attempted to write their names on the guest registry. Kari smiled apologetically at the annoyed woman. Tai forcefully opened the door to Sora's room and stopped. Mimi collided with him and fell back.

"Tai, what is your problem?"

When he didn't answer, Mimi shoved past him into the room. "Oh no..." she murmured. The soft moonlight fell through the window onto an empty bed. The remaining digidestined slowly entered the room. Tai remained by the door, his face expressionless. Mimi slowly wandered through the room. "Her bag is still here," she muttered, "maybe she's coming back..."

"She's gone," Tai stated. Several of the other teens jumped. "We were too late."

"It's not too late yet. Maybe we can still save her," Kari said optimistically.

"How can we save her?" Tai turned on his sister. She flinched under his hard glare. "How, Kari? If you have any ideas, let's hear them!"

"Tai!" Matt shouted, "Stop being such an asshole!"

Tai rounded on his blond friend, "I am NOT being an asshole! She's gone! Don't you understand?! Don't you care?!" Tears formed in his chocolate-kissed eyes.

"Of course we care, Tai," Mimi said softly, walking towards him. "That's why we're going to do everything that we can to get her back." Something crunched under her feet. Mimi stopped and glanced down to see the shattered frame of Sora's photograph. She removed the picture from under the shards of glass and placed it delicately in her bag.

"What was that?" TK demanded.

"A picture of Sora's parents," Mimi replied. "She...she threw it at the wall when we were here earlier."

Joe glanced around the small room, "Do you think..."

Izzy's abrupt arrival interrupted Joe. "G-guys..." he gasped. They turned to see the clever, redhead leaning against the door jamb for support. His breaths came in ragged gasps.

"Izzy!" Mimi cried, "What happened?"

Izzy steadied his breath and brandished a piece of paper, "You guys might want to look at this. It's about Sora."

............

Princess Sora lay in her small bed. The last rays of sunlight cast a soft, orange glow in the dark, sparse room. Before, Sora enjoyed sunsets. Now, their beauty seemed trivial. The restless young woman sighed and turned to her partner.

"Dark-Biyomon."

"Yes, my lady?"

"When did Despimon say that we are to move against the south-eastern region?"

"Not until tomorrow afternoon, mistress."

"I see." Princess Sora sighed, "What can you tell me about that region?"

Dark-Biyomon shifted. She sensed the Princess' restlessness, "It is mainly an aquatic region. A variety of Digimon live there. I have heard that Gomamon are the predominant species."

"Very well," she sighed once more, "Is there nothing that we can destroy now? No one to terrify?"

Dark-Biyomon smirked, "I'm sure we can find someone..."

Princess Sora sat up and removed a whip from under her mattress. "You're right, Dark-Biyomon," she said, a cruel smile appeared on her face, "I'm sure there is someone who needs a reminder of Lord Despimon's power. We merely have to find them."

............

"After you all ran out, Gennai sent me an e-mail," Izzy began.

"Does the e-mail talk about Sora?" Tai interrupted, "Is she safe?"

"As I was saying," Izzy glared at Tai, "Gennai told me about this Digimon that goes by the name of Despimon. He is a Digimon that was created from hated, hence his name. He looks like he is made of shadows and apparently has the ability to do some minor shape-shifting. He preys on people's hatred and grows stronger as their loathing increases. What this has to do with Sora," Izzy raised his hand to silence Tai, "is very simple. Despimon is the one that has been tormenting Sora recently. He is the reason she has changed so much. He has been feeding off of her hatred and now he has her in his power."

A long silence followed Izzy's words. "Does," Mimi stuttered, "does that mean that Sora is Despimon's prisoner?"

Izzy played with the paper in his hands. Tai glanced at his friend, "Izzy, is there something more you need to tell us?"

Izzy sighed and nodded. "Sora isn't his prisoner in the traditional sense. She...she's working for him. She's been seen destroying dozens of Digimon in the name of Despimon. Gennai said that she refers to him as 'Lord Despimon'. He's using her to help him take over the Digital World and maybe even the Real World."

"What?" Kari yelped, "But Sora would never do anything like that!"

"She wouldn't have done anything like that before she forgot the importance of love." Tai murmured, "This...Despimon is playing with her emotions. He used all the pain that she's been through to turn her against us...and herself."

"Is there anything we can do?" Mimi demanded.

Izzy nodded, "It's time for us to take a trip to the Digital World."

"Any ideas on what we're gonna do when we get there?" Matt asked.

"Hopefully, not die," Izzy stated bluntly.

"And, not hurt Sora," Tai said.

"Hopefully," Izzy added. All the other digidestineds turned to him. "Listen guys, I know you all love Sora, heck, so do I, but we're already in way over our heads. The fact that she's our friend is going to make it difficult for us to fight her. But, we're going to have to fight, even if it's just in defense."

"He's right," Joe muttered, "This is going to be the hardest battle we've ever had to fight. No matter what, we're going to lose something important to us."

"No." Tai clenched his hands into fists, "We won't lose Sora, and we won't lose anything else. We'll figure out a way to make sure we get her back."

"I hope you're right, Tai," Izzy said, removing his Digivice from his pocket, "I really hope you're right."

............

Princess Sora returned to her quarters, her boredom dispelled. She tossed the whip onto her bed and walked over to the sink. She forcefully turned the handles and shoved her hands under the icy water. The liquid turned red as it ran off her hands. She shut off the tap, the blood of several digimon running down the drain.

Princess Sora glanced at the mirror and smiled viciously. Her eyes, dead and brown, remained vacant. "That was fun, wasn't it?"

"Yes, my lady," Dark-Biyomon's smile matched that of her mistress.

"We should get some sleep," Princess Sora commanded. "We want to have energy for the fall of the Digital World."

..............................

Gato: Yippee!!

Irie: That' chapter was as terrible as a pink and gold fish shaped rug.

Gato: Okay, you have to stop making these strange connections. They make no sense.

Irie: They make sense to me.

Gato: Yes, you, and no one else. Anyhow, I apologize for any rambling, but I am really sick and really tired and I think I might be overdosing on vitamins.

Irie: How lovely. As lovely as..._mouth shut by duct tape _ mmmmm....

Gato: _playing with roll of duct tape _ It's for your own good. Really. Time for reviewer response:

TO DarkMetalAngel of Destruction: Yep, it's evil alright. Don't worry, I'll put in more Taiora. Thanks for reviewing!! PS – your screen name is very long...

TO karone-sakura: I am SO sorry that it took me so long to update. I really am. I'm so glad that you like last chapter, and I hope you like this one as well. I will try to update more often, but life is INSANE!!! Anyhow, thanks so much for the review! It is greatly appreciated.

TO fanfic fan: I said it before - you reminded me that this story existed. Also, your review was one of the sweetest I have received. Thank-you so very much! Yes, my fic is sick, twisted and crazy...but that's how I like it ;) Thanks again for the review!

Irie: Mmmmmmmmmmmm...._trying to rip duct tape off her mouth_

Gato: Okay, my darlings, I have no idea when I will update next, as I am currently working in eight stories. Am I insane? Why yes, yes I am. Please be patient with me. Ta!


	7. Perfect Day

Gato: Gah! I'm going to stop making promises that I can't keep. I always keep my promises, and it angers me that I can't keep them when it's related to this fic. I will try to update more frequently, but I have about six stories on the go at the moment. As such, no promises will be made. Now, I'm going to dive right into this. Irie?

Irie: That's Irie, Queen of Lint Land to you! Ahem…Gato only owns the plot, Despimon and the Crest of Hatred.

………………………………………

"There's no time!" Tai cried. "Sora's been missing for about an hour, so she's been in the Digital World for at least a week. We have to go now…"

"I know all of that, Tai!" Izzy shouted. Tai shrank away sheepishly. Izzy collected himself and continued, "I know what Sora means to you, but we won't be able to help her if we aren't prepared. Trust me."

Tai nodded. Mimi picked up Sora's bag and turned to Izzy. "Well, lead the way, Izzy. It looksit's going to be hard to fight."

"There's no time!" Tai cried. "Sora's been missing for about an hour, so she's been in the Digital World for at least a week. We have to go now…"

"I know all of that, Tai!" Izzy shouted. Tai shrank away sheepishly. Izzy collected himself and continued, "I know what Sora means to you, but we won't be able to help her if we aren't prepared. Trust me."

Tai nodded. Mimi picked up Sora's bag and turned to Izzy. "Well, lead the way, Izzy. It looks like you're in charge this time."

"Yeah, I agree with that." Matt nodded and turned to their former leader. "No offense to you, Tai, but…"

"I get it," Tai interrupted. "I'll get emotionally involved and that could put us all at risk."

"As long as you realize it's for the good of everyone," Joe muttered. He glanced at Izzy. "Alright, Izzy, what's the plan?"

Izzy thought for a moment. "Everyone get some supplies from you homes. Food, water, the essentials. Tell your parents where we are going and meet at my house in twenty minutes."

…

Tai threw food haphazardly into his backpack. He pulled a water bottle off his dresser and knocked a picture frame to the ground. "Damn it!"

Kari ran into Tai's room. Her pink backpack hung by her side. "Tai, calm down," she reprimanded lightly.

His hand shook as he placed the frame back on the dresser. He glanced at the picture of Sora and himself. Her radiant smile sealed his resolve. "I'll get you back, Sora," he whispered. "I promise."

Kari methodically arranged her brother's backpack. When he finally turned around, she held the heavy item out to Tai. "Here you go, big brother."

Tai smiled weakly. "What would I do without you, Kari?"

Kari merely shook her head and embraced her brother firmly.

"What's this?" Mrs. Kamiya's voice sounded from the doorway. "The two of you are actually getting along?" Her eyes traveled to the backpacks and canned food strewn on the floor. She murmured softly, "Oh. You're going again."

"We have to, mom," Tai implored. "Sora's in trouble. I need to save her. I need to bring her back."

"And I have to make sure he doesn't get himself into trouble," Kari stated. Mrs. Kamiya enveloped her daughter in a warm hug.

When she turned to Tai, he saw tears in his mother's eyes. She enveloped him firmly and whispered, "You come back to me, alive."

"I love you, mom." Tai shouldered his pack and strode purposefully from the room. His confidence masked his tears.

"I love you, Mommy," Kari murmured and followed her brother.

…

"You're leaving, baby girl?" Mimi's mother asked. She unconsciously twisted a dish cloth in her hands. Her father looked up from the soup pot, his expression hurt and surprised.

Mimi sighed quietly. _Why are my parents the only ones who make such a big deal about this? It must be because I'm their only child._

"Say something, Mimi!" Mrs. Takawatchi implored.

"I have to go." Mimi met her parents' gaze firmly. "Sora is my best friend, and I'm going to help her. She would do the same for me."

"But, Mimi," her father began. Mrs. Takawatchi silenced her husband gently.

"You go, honey. Just be careful and come back home soon."

Mimi smiled broadly. "I love you guys. I'll be back soon." She kissed each of her parents, picked up her duffle bag, and left.

"Are you sure it's a good idea?" Mr. Takawatchi turned to his wife.

"She's not a child anymore. We both knew she would grow up sometime. Now we just have to learn to let go."

…

"Jim, where are Mom and Dad?" Joe asked as he shoved a first aid kit into his large bag.

"Are you dense?" Jim asked. "They're at a medical conference in New York."

Joe threw several water bottles into his bag. He knew that information, of course. He merely asked out of habit. Joe extracted a note from his pocket and put it on the table. He wrote it on the bus ride back from the hospital. "Jim, I need you to give that note to Mom and Dad when they get home."

Jim glanced from the letter to his brother's frantic packing. "You're going back, aren't you?"

Joe paused. He knew his brother would deduce the answer eventually. Jim regarded his little brother closely. He tried to protect Joe from bullies in their youth. He tried to perform the tasks of an older brother perfectly. Unfortunately, Joe outgrew Jim's protection during the first trip to the Digital World. Joe noticed his brother's forlorn expression. "What's wrong, Jim?"

"I was just thinking about the fact that you haven't needed me as a big brother since you were ten." Jim laughed hollowly. "Now, you go save the world, little brother. Make sure you come back, though. I can only cover for so long if you're late for dinner."

Joe smiled. "What are brothers for?"

…

"TK and I are going back to the Digital World," Matt said quickly, his backpack already in place. His father's hand paused above a legal document. His mother, there to discuss legal matter with her ex-husband, dropped her fork.

"You're…you're going back?" She stammered. Her gaze traveled to her youngest son. Why had he grown up so quickly?

Mr. Ishida instinctively took his divorced wife's hand. He gazed at Matt sternly. "We support you, Matt. Just be careful. And look out for TK."

"And TK, you take care of you're big brother." Ms. Ishida forced a smile.

TK hugged his parents and slowly picked up his bag. Matt stared at his parents, surprised by their supportive comments. Finally, he threw his arms around his mother. She gaped for a moment then hugged her son. "Love you, Mom," he whispered.

"I love you too, Matt."

Matt embraced his father, took TK's hand and left.

…

"…and that's why I'm going back to the Digital World," Izzy concluded. He had explained the entire situation to his parents.

His mother frowned with worry. "That poor girl. I always like Sora."

"As did I," his father agreed. "You be careful, son."

"And make sure you invite Sora and all your other friends to dinner when you get back."

Izzy smiled at his mother. "I will, Mom. I love you both."

A loud knock interrupted his mother's reply. Izzy opened to door and found the Kamiya siblings.

"Hey Izzy. Ready?"

"We just have to wait for everyone else to get here, and then we'll be ready." Izzy led Tai and Kari into the kitchen. Tai fidgeted with his bag. Kari spoke quietly to Izzy's parents while Izzy made several last minute adjustments.

The doorbell sounded. "I'll get it!" Tai cried and dashed to the door.

"He seems very anxious," Izzy's mother commented.

"He's in love with Sora," Kari stated bluntly.

"Always has been and always will be." Izzy closed his back pack.

Tai returned with Joe and Mimi. Mimi smiled and greeted Izzy's parents very politely. The doorbell interrupted Joe's greeting. Tai vanished once again and returned with the Ishida boys. "Everyone's here now," Tai called.

"Yes." Izzy shouldered his bag and hugged his parents.

"You look out for each other," Izzy's mother warned.

"We'll all be waiting when you get back." His father gazed at the kids fondly.

Izzy led the Digidestineds to his computer. Within moments, the seven teens disappeared.

…

The newly risen sun cast its rays across fields and mountains. It sparkled over rivers and lakes as they moved to converge with the ocean. A light breeze rustled the leaves and the hair of a restless princess. A perfect day for the fall of the Digital World. Princess Sora grinned at the thought and entered her master's castle. She found Despimon in front of his computer.

"My Lord." She knelt. Despimon's eyes flickered to his slave. He maintained an air of indifference to her presence and moved to his throne.

"You may rise, Princess Sora." She obeyed. "Are you prepared for your task today, Princess?"

"Yes, my Lord."

Despimon drummed his indistinguishable fingers on the arm of his throne. "This region has caused me many problems in the past. They are the strongest of the four corners and have resisted me for years. As such, I want you to make an example of them. Show no mercy. Their demise will be a model for those who wish to appose my power."

Princess Sora smiled sadistically. "Yes, my Lord. It will be my pleasure."

Despimon smirked at the girl. He made an excellent choice. "Gather DarkBiyomon and your supplies. You leave in one hour."

…

The seven teens appeared somewhere in the north eastern region. Snow and cold winds buffeted them as they gathered their belongings.

"I wish you had picked a warmer spot, Izzy," TK muttered.

"I didn't set any co-ordinates." Izzy dusted white powder off his bag. "We don't know where Sora is, so what was the point of setting co-ordinates."

"Why didn't you set them for that Despimon's castle?" Tai called over the wind. Mimi sneezed.

"Despimon's location is as ambiguous as he is. Not even Jennai can get a lock on his co-ordinates."

"Why don't we have this conversation somewhere warm?" Matt suggested.

Izzy nodded and glanced at his Digivice. "Let's head south. We'll hit a jungle in less than an hour."

"What about our Digimon?" Mimi questioned.

"Hopefully, they'll find us," Izzy replied.

"Matt!" A familiar voice called. Matt turned in time to see a bundle of fur and claws before it talked him to the ground.

"Gabumon!" Matt laughed and embraced his hairy partner.

"It's so great to see all of you again," Gabumon grinned toothily at his friends.

"Where is everyone else, Gabumon?" Kari asked.

"Oh, here and there." Gabumon's expression became serious. "Hiding for the most part. Some of them are waiting in the jungle."

"Well, let's go." Joe led his friends in the direction of the humid shelter.

…

Princess Sora and DarkBiyomon arrived at their destination before noon. Princess Sora smiled cruelly at the quaint village. "Are you ready, DarkBiyomon?"

"Very." The Digimon concentrated and quickly digivolved. Princess Sora mounted DarkBirdramon and entered the village. Gomamon and other species of Digimon scattered in terror. Princess Sora jumped to the ground and unsheathed a long sword. In moments, she destroyed several Digimon and nearly a dozen houses. DarkBirdramon blocked their escape.

"You will serve Lord Despimon!" She cried as she slit a Gomamon's throat.

In less than and hour, all the Digimon were dead, with the exception of DarkBirdramon. The river beside the village became a deep red as blood flowed down the bank. Princess Sora returned her sword to it's sheath, mounted DarkBidramon, and vanished.

…………………………………………

Gato: Done and done.

TO Musashibf: Thanks for the review. Yeah, it takes forever to write a new chapter. Sigh.

TO karone-sakura: Yeah, so updating everyday didn't work out so well. Sorry about that. Thanks for the review and I hope you like the new chapter.

TO sara haruko takenouchi kamiya: Wow, you're screen name is a mouthful. Glad you like the story, and thanks for the review.

TO White Artemis: Thanks! That's so sweet!

TO ghiki-j: That's right. Sora gone bad. Interesting, no? Thanks for the review!

**PS (IMPORTANT)– If you like Teen Titans, Harry Potter, Yu-Gi-Oh, or Inuyasha, pleases r/r some of my other stories. I've got tons of other Digimon stuff too. **


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